US OPEN

August 27, 2005

Robby Ginepri

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Robby.

ROBBY GINEPRI: The hat? Just a hat I got over in Vienna. Nothing special.

ROBBY GINEPRI: Yeah, I switched from Raisin Bran to Wheaties. Yeah, that's a big difference. It's a lot of combinations. I've been working a lot on my serve, and that's been clicking. Off-court conditioning has been really good for me. I've been working a lot harder, taking every day more serious, not wasting hours on the court. It's been paying off, and it's fun.

ROBBY GINEPRI: You know, I switched coaches at the beginning of the year to Francisco Montana. He's been a part of that, big part. It's tough to go day by day without working as hard as you can, and I could see the difference paying off this year from the last year. Slipping to 103, it was a good reality check for me.

ROBBY GINEPRI: Planning on it. I hope so. That's the track I want to take. You know, if I'm doing the right things and working as hard as I can, I think the sky's the limit.

ROBBY GINEPRI: He works with Kevin Kim as well.

ROBBY GINEPRI: Definitely.

ROBBY GINEPRI: Yeah, when I was coming up, 18, 19, I was working really hard in the gym. I got to 25 in the world and kind of thought that was good enough for me and I stopped working as hard day in, day out, off court. I didn't think it was a big issue if I would take a week here, week off, week there; you know, obviously it was.

ROBBY GINEPRI: Just I'm working on all my shots, you know. I've been working on the slice a bit more; I didn't have that shot. I've been working on the volleys a little bit more. There's times in big matches, one or two points at the net where I miss, you know; I still miss them, but it's getting better and that's been key for me. Just attacking the ball more. Last year I was kind of not going for my shots, and if I was going, it was at the wrong time. So a little more patience as well now.

ROBBY GINEPRI: Yeah, it was after -- you know, the French wasn't too, too great for me. Going into grass, I thought I'd get a little more pumped up. That was a downfall as well for the grass. I usually like playing on it, and I didn't play as well as I could have or should have, I guess. After that, I kind of thought of things to do. I got motivated again. And, you know, signing with (inaudible) was a big push for me. I felt like it turned my career around, starting over. It's good to see that the game is in me still. I know I can play. It's just finding it again, and everything's been clicking this summer.

ROBBY GINEPRI: Just, you know, with Nike, you know, the contract ending. And switching over is just like the company believes in me, you know. With the confidence that they have that, you know, I could be a top player, it kind of boosted me again and gave me some light.

ROBBY GINEPRI: Yeah, when I'm home I'm always out there. It's good to have a club you can go and practice at. They're building some indoor courts, and they'll be done. It's exciting to have that to come home to.

ROBBY GINEPRI: I played Roger on Saturday, and the only thing I could pick out that he was doing was kind of, you know, bringing me into the net, you know. That was the only thing I could pick up on. I think I don't have too many holes in my game right now. I think the volleying can get a lot better, and that's about it. You'd have to ask other players, I guess, what they try to do against me - and then let me know (smiling).

ROBBY GINEPRI: Right, the confidence is key, I think, for any player. You know, when I was coming up, I was winning challenger matches and that gave me confidence of going into tour events, qualifying for them. I got on a drought where I wasn't winning matches, and when it came down to big points in matches, I was playing tight, tentative, and I wasn't going for my shots. I'd be fine for the first set and a half, and when it got down to it, I was just not executing.

ROBBY GINEPRI: I did, yeah. I got up to 25 and I thought it was pretty easy. I was like, "Wow, this isn't too hard." It kind of -- just kind of lulled off. I didn't work as much and was taking every day for granted. You know, it came back to haunt me. So now I'm back fresh, ready to go.

ROBBY GINEPRI: Yeah, a lot of players have slipped back and come back, and I was always wondering how that happened - if they got up so high, how can they fall back? Now I'm saying the same thing up here, so it's easy to see it happen. Now just not let it come again.

ROBBY GINEPRI: It was big. It was some time -- we played so many times through Juniors. It's big, a big edge he's always had. I'd never actually taken a set off of him in a tour event. I took one off in a challenger, but that was when we were younger. I played some really good tennis against him and kept losing to him in tiebreak after tiebreaker, and it was so frustrating. So every time I go on the court with him, he's always got that little edge against you. I told him one time in Memphis I think three years ago that "I was going to beat you before our career finishes," and so finally did it. But I know we're going to have some more rivalries.

ROBBY GINEPRI: Possible. Both have to get through the first round and, you know, I know that's what the crowd is going to want to see, the tournament as well. Hopefully, we'll make it happen.

ROBBY GINEPRI: It is. I've been playing some of my best tennis right now. I know he's always fired up to play the Open. He's won it here before. I don't think he's going to want to play me second round, but at the same time I'm not looking forward to playing him.